I Will Protect You
by Because I Can and Will
Summary: Naruto is attacked by the villagers, who wish to make the fox pay for the attack on the village years earlier. Jiraiya comes looking for Naruto when he doesn't show up for training the next day, and finally gets a glimpse into what Naruto's life is really like. Fatherly relationship, possible Jiraiya/Tsunade. Naruto is 12 to 13
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters should pray for their good fortune.

Title: I Will Protect You

Summary: Naruto is attacked by the villagers who wish to make the fox pay for the attack on the village years earlier. Jiraiya comes looking for Naruto when he doesn't show up for training the next day, and finally gets a glimpse into what Naruto's life is really like.

I have wanted to write this story for a long time, and I finally decided to do it. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Naruto's POV

It had been a long day of training for Naruto, who was exhausted. He had been training with pervy sage all day, trying out new summoning techniques, and working with new toads. He had tried to get along with the new ones he encountered, but some of them were just annoying. He took a mental note of which ones they were to try to avoid calling them in the future.

He was currently in his bed looking up at the ceiling, trying to dispel the stress from his body. He was still tense from the long day of training, and the relaxing breathing techniques were only doing so much to help his aching body. He sighed when he realized that he would have to get up again tomorrow and continue the training, even though he was happy that pervy sage was finally taking his training seriously.

He was just starting to nod off when he heard commotion outside his door. His ears caught the noise and he panicked slightly, afraid of what might be going on. It was unusual for people in his apartment complex to be awake at this hour, he thought, wondering what the noise could mean. The noise grew louder and voices could be heard, though they were barely above a whisper. He began to grow uneasy at this, and started to get up to ensure that his door was bolted, so that no one could enter the apartment. As he was getting out of bed the people outside began kicking the door. His breath caught in his throat, and he knew that the people outside were not coming for a friendly visit. He ran toward the door hoping to reach it before they got in, thinking that if only he could reach the door he could prevent his attackers from getting to him. However, to his disappointment, he was too late, and the door lock was broken along with several hinges.

His panic reached a whole new level as his mind recalled the various times people entered his apartment, armed and out for blood. He tried to quell his unease and focus on a solution, yet the horrible memories continued to fly in. However, his memories were all incomplete, as his body seemed to go into an involuntary form of shock, which always resulted in amnesia of the terrible event. He could never remember anything past a certain point, and he didn't know if that was better or worse for his troubled mind. He truly felt that tonight would be no different, and was at a loss for how to circumvent the situation at hand. He bitterly thought about how no one else his age had these problems to deal with, but sucked it up knowing that such thoughts were of no use to his current situation. He would sulk later, but now he needed to focus on what was happening around him.

Five people entered the apartment with weapons of all kinds. Naruto stood frozen as they circled around him, attempting to figure out what to do. He was afraid of them, and the people seemed to be able to sense that they had the upper hand. It was clear that these people were villagers and not trained shinobi. He could probably easily defeat them if he tried, but that was never the problem. The counsel was the real problem, and if he was caught fighting back against the villagers the counsel would surely react badly, and depending on the outcome of the fight they might decide to banish or kill him. The last time he fought back the third Hokage had a horrible time convincing the counsel to let him go unharmed. He shivered at the memory, and was always grateful that the old man had taken his side. He felt a pang of sadness then, knowing that the third Hokage wasn't around to provide protection anymore.

He had accepted that he couldn't do anything, aside from protect himself the best he could. The fear was still present, and he started backing up looking for an escape route, when he was grabbed from behind. His arms were pulled harshly behind his back, and he was struck harshly across the forehead. His world went dark after that.

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Naruto's POV

Naruto woke up dizzy and in pain, not knowing where he was at the moment. It took time for his surroundings to stop spinning, and his mind to regain focus. After his eyes adjusted to the dark he looked around, and the first thing he noticed was the puddle of blood that was around him. He groaned when the night's events came back to him, and he decided that he would assess the damage to himself, and his apartment in the morning. He was too upset to dwell on the feeling of betrayal that came with each attack, and sleep felt like the best option to distance himself from reality at the moment. He still felt tired, but managed to pull himself up and stumble to his bed. He grit his teeth as he moved slowly, and cursed his aching limbs. He checked himself over to ensure that the bleeding had stopped, and when he was sure it had he laid down to go back to sleep. He would reflect on what happened later, now he was just too tired and emotionally drained for that kind of thought.

He was not asleep for more than a few hours when he heard more pounding on the door. This time he awoke with a start, and almost fell off the bed. He heard pervy sage shouting the next moment, and lay back down to calm himself and think of what to do. His mind was foggy, and he didn't feel right, like he was stuck in a dream. First he looked at his alarm, and realized he was two hours late for training. He was unsure of how to proceed, but knew that he couldn't let pervy sage into his apartment. He groaned wishing he would just be left alone to rest and recover, while brooding over the villagers' senseless attack. Why couldn't he just have some semblance of peace, surely that wasn't too much to ask the universe for right? Now however, he had to get up and get rid of his teacher.

With the decision made, he got up slowly out of bed, cringing in the process and grabbed his jacket from the end of the bed. He put it on as he walked to the door, hoping it would conceal his injuries from pervy sage, and was horrified when he noticed the word demon written in his own blood on the wall nearby. Leaning on the wall he fought the nausea that rose with the sight. He slid down the wall, repeating that everything would be okay over and over to himself. After a minute the pounding and yelling intensified, and Naruto assumed his teacher had heard him get out of bed. He took a breath and got up to walk toward the door.

Upon reaching the door Naruto realized that he would not be able to open it all the way, because then pervy sage would see the blood and damage everywhere. Opening the door would be tricky though, because of the broken hinges that made it lean unsteadily as it was. He had no idea how the pounding hadn't knocked it over already. He took a deep breath, and put on one of his fake smiles, knowing that if he let any of his emotions slip he would never succeed in getting his teacher to leave. Finally, when he steeled himself, he slipped outside after opening the door a crack.

He realized that it wasn't going to be easy to get rid of pervy sage the second the door opened. His teacher glared at him, and appeared to be barely controlling his temper. Naruto took a step back, in case pervy sage tried to grab him, and spoke before Jiraiya could.

"Sorry, I must have overslept, but I can't train today, so can we just meet tomorrow." He half laughed while he spoke, hoping that pervy sage would just let the fact that he was willingly asking to take a break from training slip. He was talking too fast, and feared that he would start to ramble soon. He was already stressed enough without adding this in, and his anxiety over what happened was still elevated and barely in control. He realized the shock must still be present, and causing the hazy feeling that consumed him. At the moment he felt like he was going to break down, and he would rather do that without his teacher there to criticize him.

Unfortunately, the look Jiraiya gave him was priceless. The anger faded into suspicion and possible concern quickly. Pervy sage cocked his head, and bent down slightly so their faces were closer, which made Naruto shiver slightly from fear. "Why?" was all Jiraiya said in response, while continuing to stare at him intensely.

The close proximity was making Naruto feel nervous, and he leaned more into the wall behind him while edging closer to the door. "Um, I'm not really feeling well today and…" He looked toward the door as he trailed off. His teacher had stood back up, and eyed the door suspiciously. Naruto was really at a loss now, and his panic at having Jiraiya near, and so close to bursting through the door was only making it harder to concentrate.

Jiraiya looked between him and the door a few times, and a bad feeling crept up Naruto's spine. Suddenly, pervy sage lurched forward and Naruto screamed "No!", but it was too late.

"What are you hiding in here?" Jiraiya muttered as he swung open the door, nearly knocking it the rest of the way off the hinges as he entered the apartment.

It was a complete disaster after that, as Naruto ran in trying to prevent his teacher from seeing the inside of the apartment, and the look of horror clearly written across Jiraiya's face. Everything seemed to come to a halt for a terrifying second, and Naruto felt a flash of panic when nothing happened. He didn't know what he was expecting, but silence was not it, and the pause just made everything more intense. He could feel his heart beating, felt it in his throat as he waited with baited breath for a reaction. However, his thoughts were diverted as the door started creaking, and the last hinge broke. The door started falling toward him, so he put his hands up to protect himself, flinching involuntarily as he did, but it never hit him. He looked up and saw pervy sage holding the door, preventing it from falling on him, and then readjusting it so it didn't fall.

Naruto sighed in relief at that, and felt the adrenaline start to drain from his body. The soreness was beginning to creep back in, and he leaned against a wall for support. The quick movements had irritated his wounds, and he had a headache building. He was just beginning to relax and forget about the current situation, when he was suddenly picked up. This caused a new spike of panic and he struggled against the hold. Whatever feelings of relaxation he had were discarded as he was overcome with memories of pain and torment.

Jiraiya tightened his grip however, and whispered "Shh. It's alright just try and relax." This caused Naruto's body to go limp with fear and resignation, and that seemed to worry pervy sage more. Jiraiya's face showed concern and hints of fear. Naruto allowed his head to loll against Jiraiya's chest as he observed the man's face, and took in the emotions it conveyed. It was strange to be treated this way, especially after such abuse. Calming his mind proved more difficult, and he couldn't find the will to move his body. He was thoroughly worn and overcome, leading him to shut down and allow pervy sage to take over.

When they reached his bed Jiraiya put him down gently, so that he was sitting on the edge, and then sat next to him. Pervy sage began to remove his jacket, and he panicked again flinching away. He really didn't want Jiraiya to see the wounds inflicted upon him, and wondered why the universe had to humiliate him in this way. "What happened?" Jiraiya asked gently, leaning close and examining the wounds on his arms. The question only caused Naruto to scoot back some and curl into himself, looking at his teacher with fear written across his face. He couldn't tell him the truth, didn't want to reveal his secrets that he kept hidden so well, and he just stayed silent.

After a moment of staring at each other, Jiraiya finally moved and summoned a toad. He gave the toad explicit instructions to find Tsunade, and tell her to come to Naruto's apartment with her medical kit. After that he turned back to Naruto, telling him to lay down and rest, and at that moment Naruto had no problem complying with that request.

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I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and remember to review. I intend to continue the story, though I imagine that it will only reach five chapters at the most. I am still working it out, and any thoughts are appreciated. I am attempting to make the relationship a fatherly relationship, so I will not be including any slash. However, I might include some fluff between the two sages, so read, review, and stay tuned for the next installment.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters should pray for their good fortune.

Title: I Will Protect You

Summary: Naruto is attacked by the villagers who wish to make the fox pay for the attack on the village years earlier. Jiraiya comes looking for Naruto when he doesn't show up for training the next day, and finally gets a glimpse into what Naruto's life is really like.

I have wanted to write this story for a long time, and I finally decided to do it. I hope you enjoy it. I tried to achieve a moment between the sages, and gave Tsunade a larger part than I originally intended.

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Jiraiya's POV

Shock, fear, and confusion were just some of the emotions Jiraiya was currently experiencing. After Naruto fell asleep he headed into the kitchen to try to calm his own nerves. He didn't understand the chaos he walked into, or why anyone would want to harm Naruto inside his own apartment. He leaned against the wall trying to find a grip on the moment, and after some time passed he decided that figuring out the situation would provide that grip.

He began to ponder what his first move should be. He had seen the state the apartment was in, the blood everywhere, the word demon scrawled on the wall. He knew that he needed to clean up the mess to try and spare his student any more trauma. With his first move decided he stood to get started, and made a mental note to plan his next move while cleaning.

However, as he was entering the living room, he heard a frantic knock on the door, which was followed by a frantic and fearsome blond bursting through the door. Tsunade had arrived, and she did not look pleased.

* * *

Tsunade's POV

Tsunade had received Jiraiya's vague message and panicked. The fact that he was sending her to Naruto's apartment provoked panic in her core, since she knew the boy had many enemies outside the village. She didn't think it was possible that they could have slipped her security, but then again it had happened before.

Upon reaching the door she knocked hard, and was surprised when the door fell over into the apartment interior. However, the second it did she saw the mess, blood, and disaster that awaited beyond, and she felt her blood boil. 'How dare anyone do this to Naruto' rang through her head.

"What happened here?" she growled at her former teammate. His eyes widened, and she realized she had scared him.

Jiraiya tried to speak several times, stopping each time, and testing her patience. Then he finally spit out "Honestly, I don't know. I called you hoping you could heal Naruto, since he is hurt pretty bad and understandably shaken." He then looked at Naruto's bedroom, and that was the only cue she needed to jump into action.

After rushing into the bedroom and seeing Naruto she went into full medic ninja mode. She walked up to his bed and pulled the covers back, starling him awake. For a moment, they just stared at each other, before she pulled him up and started stripping off his layers of clothing. She knew she needed to check him thoroughly for injuries, and was glad she remembered her medic kit in her rush from her office.

He froze the moment she started pulling on his clothes but didn't say anything. It unnerved her that he didn't speak since he always had something to say, which just made the situation that much sadder. She truly wanted answers, but knew that she needed to make sure his injuries were taken care of first. She hoped they weren't too extensive, or he would have to go to the hospital for further treatment.

After she removed all but his boxers and got a good look though she knew he would be alright with her talents and supplies alone. The cuts were deep, but nothing she hadn't dealt with before on the battlefield. With this in mind she helped back into bed so he could relax while she worked. The worst ones appeared to be on his arms, so that is where she started. While she worked on those she asked "Where does it hurt the worst?" He didn't answer so she added "I can't treat you fully unless I know where your hurt."

After a long sigh he presented his right arm, which had a deep jagged gash near the shoulder which extended to just above his elbow. She gently healed the gash, and watched him close his eyes while taking a deep breath. Finally he spoke, "I'm fine, I just need to lie down for a while."

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a quizzical look before replying with "You don't look fine to me. What happened?" She continued working on his injuries watching his face carefully. He didn't speak, and somehow she knew that she wasn't going to get any answers now. She sighed loudly and moved to his legs. "This conversation isn't over, just postponed." She looked him in the eye when she said it, before diverting her attention to her medical bad and pulling out several strips of gauze.

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Jiraiya's POV

While Tsunade tended to his student's injuries, Jiraiya worked diligently on his own self appointed task. He had managed to clean the blood off the wall, removing the word demon and the chill it sent up his spine each time he saw it. That helped calm him a bit, and he moved to removing the blood from the floor.

While he worked he again pondered who would do such a thing, and why. He knew that Naruto needed to recover some before he was willing to recap exactly what happened, but waiting was torture. He wanted to know, and he wanted to make sure something like this never happened again.

His thoughts eventually drifted to Minato, and his untimely death. Jiraiya realized a long time ago that he had the worst luck when it came to choosing students, and half wondered if he was the only one. It seemed something terrible was destined to occur for those training under him, and chided himself for hoping this time would be any different. However, this time he wasn't going to stand for it.

Tsunade emerged a little while later, looking exhausted and troubled. He decided to see if she found out who attacked his student. "Did he tell you anything?"

She walked over and helped him move the furniture back into place, before bitterly answering "No." Once the couch was properly adjusted, both sages sat down on it. The silence stretched on, and Jiraiya didn't feel the need to break it since both were lost in their own confused thoughts.

"What are we going to do, Tsanade?" he finally asked, even though he doubted she had the answer.

She looked him square in the eye before saying "Whatever we have to. Once we know who did this, then we can focus on how we are going to track them down, and make them pay." She was ever the vengeful type.

Jiraiya did not feel it was going to be that easy though. "Do you think that will be the end of it? In fact, do you think this is even the beginning?" He had wondered that for some time now, and it was clear his companion did too based on the look that crossed her face. After another moment of silence he added "Is this our fault?" His voice sounded lost to his own ears, the thick emotion not normally present there.

Tsunade's eyes hardened before she said "No, it's the people who attacked him that are to blame, and we are left to help heal the wounds they inflicted mentally and physically. We aren't bad people, just concerned ones who would do anything to protect those they love." Her eyes softened again, and Jiraiya saw all the years of wisdom and grief in those very eyes.

They sat like that for a few more minutes before Tsunade stood. "I really have to get back to the office. Take care of him Jiraiya, and tell me if anything changes. I'll be back to check on him later." She turned around and took his hand in hers, before finishing her train of thought. A small smile graced her lips as she said "We'll figure out what to do next together." He nodded, and even after her departure he still felt her touch lingering on his skin.

* * *

So here is a short chapter, which took several mental revamps in my head and multiple times staring at my laptop to get past the writer's block. Honestly, I think this is the hardest chapter I'll have to write, and I'm hoping that the next one comes out quicker, and more in line with my original plan.

On another note, I love the ideas I have been getting, and have also been thinking about how to incorporate them into the story. However, if you are inspired and wish to take ideas from this story, feel free to create your own, and just let me know so that I can check out your story sometime. Any other ideas or additional comments welcome, so remember to review.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters should pray for their good fortune.

Title: I Will Protect You

Summary: Naruto is attacked by the villagers who wish to make the fox pay for the attack on the village years earlier. Jiraiya comes looking for Naruto when he doesn't show up for training the next day, and finally gets a glimpse into what Naruto's life is really like.

Hey everyone, I am finally finishing this story. I haven't forgotten it, and it's always been in the back of my mind. I just haven't had time to formulate the final product. However, now I do, and I've decided that this chapter will be the end, because I just don't know how to continue it. I am grateful for all your support and ideas throughout, and if you dislike the way it has turned out, or would like to write a sequel to it feel free.

* * *

Naruto's POV

Naruto woke to the sun high in sky shining in through his window. He blinked a few times, wondering where he was, and what had happened. His body felt sore, which he choked up to training the day before, and weak. He found it difficult to sit up, and that's when he felt the wounds on his body. They were mostly healed, and so the ones that truly stuck out where the deeper, more intense ones. Another thing he noted quickly, was that they were all bandaged and cleaned. That was odd as he couldn't remember even getting them, let alone taking care of them.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply thinking back to the night before. That's when he remembered the people banging on his door, and breaking into his apartment, clear ill intent written across their faces. He opened his eyes and looked around, noticing everything seemed the way it was the night before. He saw a few things that stuck out though, most notably the blood on his jacket that hung off his bed post.

However, despite the things he was seeing, he couldn't remember anything that occurred between being knocked on the head, and waking up in his bed at this moment. That was what scared him the most. He had no idea what had happened to him, what the people had done or said, or even how he had gotten from one area in his apartment to another. It was terrifying to think that anything could have happened, and he had no recollection of it. He didn't know if he ever would, or if his body had gone so far into shock that everything would be lost forever.

During this last unnerving thought, something else happened to put him even more on edge, the smell of ramen wafted into his bedroom. He panicked immediately, concerned that he might have left the stove on and forgotten about it, or even worse, that someone might be in _HIS_ apartment. He began to consider his options, and what to do. He had to approach this situation cautiously, and he had the upper hand because if someone was in his kitchen, they would think he was still asleep.

He pulled himself out of bed, noticing the rips in his pants and grimaced. However, at the moment he needed to focus on the larger problem at hand. He crept quietly over to the door leading from his bedroom to the kitchen, and poked his head out carefully. What he saw made him pull back and press his body up against the wall immediately. Jiraiya was in his kitchen, making ramen on the stove.

He tried in vain to remember when his teacher had shown up to his apartment, but couldn't recall anything. He knew he wasn't with the group of crazed villagers the night before, so when did he get here. In that moment he realized in his confusion upon waking up that he forgot he was supposed to be training this morning. Since he was always down for training, not showing up would definitely raise suspicion, prompting his teacher to come find him. So not only did he have no recollection of what happened with the people who broke in, he couldn't even remember pervy sage arriving. He wondered what else happened that he didn't know about, and why was Jiraiya cooking ramen in his kitchen? Nothing was making sense right now, and as much as he would like to hide in his room and will the answers to come to him, he knew he needed to face his teacher eventually.

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Jiraiya's POV

While cooking ramen wasn't something Jiraiya particularly enjoyed doing, he knew that Naruto loved eating it, and that the kid would need to eat something soon. It was already past noon, and while it was true Naruto needed to rest, he also wanted to wake him up to make sure he was truly ok, and he thought having ramen present might make that a little easier. He heard some noise behind him as he stirred the noodles in the pot.

He turned slightly, sighing in relieve upon seeing his student leaning against the doorframe watching him. But on a closer look, Jiraiya noticed the apprehensive and confused look across his students face, like Naruto didn't understand what he was doing. "I'm making lunch since I thought you would be hungry" he ventured hoping to get his student to stop eyeing him so critically. However, the critical look only increased, so he tried again. Motioning to the table he stated "You should sit and relax, it's almost done." This appeared to help appease his student, as Naruto sat down, but wouldn't stop fdrlooking at him oddly.

The food finished cooking a moment later, and Jiraiya poured two bowls so they could both have something for lunch. While he typically hated eating the stuff, he was starving after all the cleaning he had performed, and needed something to recharge. He set the food on the table, and grabbed all the other supplies they would need, before sitting down himself. Naruto looked at his food and glass of water quizzically, before muttering a weak "Thanks" and continuing to stare at the bowl.

Jiraiya found this behavior highly odd, as Naruto always ate quickly, often inhaling his food. So Jiraiya took a bite of his own, hoping to encourage his student to do the same. After the second bite Naruto began picking at his food, and eventually started slowly eating it. Jiraiya found this extremely odd, and didn't know how to break the tense silence that had settled over the pair. He regretted all the times he had wished for his student to be quiet, because in this moment he would give anything to have some normalcy.

When he could stand the silence no more, he decided that the tension couldn't possibly get worse, and so he decided to go right to the heart of the matter. "How are you feeling?"

Naruto looked at him oddly, before looking away and replying "Fine", and taking another bite of his lunch.

Jiraiya frowned at the blunt and emotionless answer. "That's good, I'll have to send word to Tsunade. I'm sure she is still as worried as when she was here earlier.

Naruto chocked on his ramen then, and Jiraiya noted the surprise and panic written clearly across his students face. After he finished coughing and settled down, he turned to Jiraiya and looked at him with his eyes wide. "When was she here?" There was a note of panic in his voice that matched the look on his face.

It was Jiraiya's turn to be surprised. He didn't know what to say for a moment, wondering how his student could forget a presence like Tsunade's. "I called her here after I came into your apartment and saw the mess. She was here to treat your wounds, and left after you fell asleep. Don't you remember?"

Naruto bowed his head and began to play with his food again. "No, I don't remember anything, not since I went to bed last night." Naruto didn't look at him, and he couldn't form words to reply.

Jiraiya pondered what to do for the rest of the meal. Both of them ate slowly now, not sure what to do. Naruto couldn't remember, didn't remember him or Tsunade, possibly didn't even remember the people that attacked him. What would they do now? He had been hoping to get a description from his student, a story about what happened at the very least. Now it was clear that wasn't going to happen, and they would have no lead to pursue to get justice. This was all very disheartening, and Jiraiya found that he lost his appetite completely.

Once both their bowls were empty, Jiraiya cleaned up the mess, and washed all the dishes. Naruto didn't move from his spot at the table, and didn't say anything either. He continued to look at the table, and Jiraiya knew he wasn't focusing on what was happening in the present.

After everything was washed, dried, and put away, Jiraiya decided it was time for them both to rest. He walked over to the table, and picked Naruto up bridal style to carry him back to his bed. Naruto panicked at first, but then went limp and just allowed himself to be carried, no fuss, no fighting. This was highly unusual, as his student only allowed himself to be carried when he was really tired or hurt. This only increased Jiraiya's worry, and he had no intention of leaving his student alone anytime soon.

Upon reaching Naruto's bed Jiraiya continued to hold Naruto while he leaned back against the against the wall. He got comfortable, and then began to rub soothing circles along Naruto's arm to try to get him to relax. After a while Jiraiya felt Naruto snuggle into him, laying his head on his chest and breathing deeply. "I can't remember anything at all, not since they broke down the door. And it was dark, so I didn't see their faces. I don't know what happened."

Jiraiya felt his heart break a little at the sad tone his student used. "It's ok, do you remember anything strange about them, anything at all?" He ventured carefully, not wanting to upset Naruto further, but needing answers in order to something all the same.

"No." Jiraiya felt the tears on his arm at the admission, and moved his hand so he could rub Naruto's back gently in a way he hoped was calming.

As much as Jiraiya wanted vengeance, he knew he wasn't going to get the information he needed here. He had other ways of finding out what he needed to know, after all he was a great spy. Now however, he needed to make sure his student was ok, and that was his top priority. "I'll figure out who it is, and make sure they get what is coming to them." he assured his student.

Naruto laughed hollowly, and it didn't sound right in Jiraiya's ears. "You can't always fix everything pervy sage."

At least he was using his nickname again, and for once Jiraiya didn't feel like correcting him for it. He wasn't trying to fix everything, just make up for things that should never have happened in the first place. He knew Tsunade would agree with him, and that when she arrived back she would say the same thing that ran through his mind. "I know I can't fix everything, but I can protect you, and teach you to protect yourself. Every teacher wants their student to grow stronger, faster, smarter, just overall better than them, because we want so fiercely for you to be safe. While I can't fix everything, I can help ensure that this never happens again, and I will. I will protect you."

Naruto looked surprised at this confession. "But how?"

"Just know that I will, and so will Tsunade and your friends." Jiraiya saw Naruto smile at that, and felt him relax a little. He hoped the kid would get some more rest before Tsunade arrived, even just a little would be beneficial. "But above all, know that no matter what it costs me, I will protect you."

* * *

Well that's a wrap. I hoped you liked it, as I know it's been a while and my initial plans for this story changed some. However, I wanted to finish it, as my policy is to always finish my stories, even when I struggle with them, like I have with this one. Let me know what you thought of the finale, and hopefully you feel it's a good way to end it. Cheers.


End file.
